Etymology of word baung

The word bong is an adaptation of the Thai word baung. This means a cylindrical wooden tube, pipe, or container cut from bamboo stem. The Thai word became part of the English lexicon during the Vietnam War. At this time, five American military bases were located in Thailand. Soldiers used to pick up local traits. This included smoking cannabis in a Thai kind of pipe called baung.

Later, the word baung was transformed into bong and the troops brought the word and its connotation to the States. One of the earliest recorded use of the word bong dates back to January 1971 issue of the Marijuana Review. It said: "Many thanks to Scott Bennett for the beautiful special bong he made for my pipe collection."

Few erudite believe that the word might have been influenced by the Africans. Bong’om is a fast vanishing tribe in modern day Kenya. This is where Mary Leakey found her water-pipe. The tribe uses the language called Bong’om. Another example is Liberia, a country which has been named after Mount Bong.

Rather than believing that all these tribes were besotted to using an insignificant Thai word, it is easier to believe that the Thai stoners have named their loved device after the people who have invented it.